Looking Back | January 2021

Looking Back | January 2021

“JANUARY,
The first month of the year,
A perfect time to start all over again,
Changing energies and deserting old moods,
New beginnings, new attitudes”
― Charmaine J Forde

Charmaine Forde seemed to know exactly what I was trying to achieve in January. Starting over, changing, deserting old moods, new beginnings, and yes, new attitudes!

I confess these were not easy tasks…they were easier to write than they were to do. It was a month that brought changes though. My son moved to Wisconsin…all on his own. (okay one friend helped him pack up the truck and unload it…but still, no help from me outside of “distant encouragement and a sympathetic ear”) I am trying to wrap my head around how I will manage this change into seeing kids this year…my hopes are that we can all travel to one place and gather together. I am really not wanting to even just “plan something only in my head” because if that did not happen, I think it would be the end of what’s left of my sanity.

January had me thinking lots about a new start with my word – release. Lots of thinking…new beginnings for certain and wondering about deserting some old things… moods, feelings, pain. Hard work that won’t happen over night so I instead worked on releasing things…a closet clean out, a yarn clean out, a project clean out. Gosh, those all felt so good! Progress sometimes needs space to happen. So I started making some space to do that work!

Less photos this month, and that felt very good too!

We had diverse temperatures from some warm days to some bitterly cold ones, and we got some snow! Spinning and knitting and an AC Aurora! And the best bit… Madam Vice President!!

Happy Monday everyone! See you all back here on Wednesday!

Looking Back | December 2020

Looking Back | December 2020

“How did it get so late so soon?”
― Dr. Seuss

I have been debating with myself since the waning days of December about doing this last “Look Back” of the year. It was just such a month of “nothing.” Yes, I decorated for the holidays. Yes, I listened to music and sang along loudly! But it just wasn’t at all a “normal” year. Christmas gifts were ordered (for the most part) on Amazon and shipped directly to the recipients. If I thought mail was slow moving here in my neighborhood, well… Michigan said “Hold my beer” with their mail delivery foibles (a simple anniversary card has yet to arrive, though it was mailed on December 14th). A package that was full of special things for Vivi was sent at astronomical cost via UPS, but at least it arrived safely!

Yet, though all of this… it just did not feel like “year end” if you know what I mean. December just felt very discombobulated. I found myself waffling between these two sentiments: how on earth is this year over and how on earth is this year NOT over!

But there are photos (minus the 28th when I just did not take any photos at all!) and, though they are far from exciting, I am sharing them with you!


The Best Part of the Month

Are things that are not reflected here. A handmade Christmas and Birthday card from Vivi. My daughter’s ingenuity in making an ornament with Winston’s wee handprint on it! FaceTime calls, phone calls, and text messages galore. And my son getting a significant promotion at work. Those are simply the best things ever.

Something New Old

In this month that lacked any semblance of “sameness” I found the best comfort in “old things.” Things like ornaments my kids made when they were little and Firestone Christmas carols.

Also… me… yes, I quietly turned 60 in December. And that was exactly how I wanted it to be. It was a day of reflection for me… where I have been, where I am now, and where do I still want to be.

Best “Oh, Wow” Moment/s

I loved that the Scott Volunteer Fire Department brought Santa around… masked and safety protocols in place… so that the child in all of us could experience again the wonder that is Christmas.

The Christmas morning photos of Vivi and Win just make my heart sing with joy.

AND! That $6 amaryllis that I got from Trader Joe’s that started to open on my birthday.

What I did Well and What I can do Better

I did these “Look Backs” for the entire year, but I think they can be better. More unique. More individual. My word (Release) is helping with that… in fact it might be the very first thing I let go of… the rote task of scrambling to take a photo. Yes there will still be a look back in 2021, but it will look and feel very different!

That is it as I shut the door on 2020. I hope you enjoy this look back as much as I do! If you want to see the entire year of Look Back, you will find them all here!

Thanks and I will see you back here on Wednesday for some Unraveling!

 

Virtual Advent | My First Christmas

Virtual Advent | My First Christmas

I enjoyed Bridget’s Virtual Advent Christmas story and I thought, well… I have a sort of similar story to share. And although I do not remember any of this story, I have heard it told and re-told and re-told! Plus..I have the proof that it is true!

I have a cousin, Bill, who is 6 months younger than me. I had looked for a photo of the two of us together, but alas, I could not find one. Instead I found a photo of me when I was about 2-ish (I think!) That is the face of determination, Gentle Readers!

That haircut?? Courtesy of my dear Nana!

This story takes place all the way back in 1961… our (mine and Bill’s) first Christmas. I was almost 1 and Bill was just 6 months old. My mom had gotten him a small teddy bear for Christmas, but she made the fatal error in letting me see the gift before it was wrapped. As the story goes, I was obsessed with the wee bear. I asked about the bear lots…and lots…and lots! Out of sight did not mean out of my mind! So it should have come to no surprise that just as we were all getting ready to sit down to eat, I walked in with the little bear. (Personally, I think the quiet should have been a huge clanging warning bell, amirite?) however, as the story goes, I found the wrapped box under the tree and helped myself.

Then the battle began… my mother wanted me to give it to Bill and I was having none of it. They say there were all kinds of tears and yelling (me crying, my parents yelling…) until my nana weighed in. And in her immortal words, as she loved to retell it… “it’s your own damned fault,” she told my mother. My nana in her wisdom ended the fracas, I had the bear… Bill had the box (?? I honestly don’t know if poor Bill got anything from us that year!) and dinner started with no more arguing! Ha!

That bear though… he was the dearest little friend, and as you can see… he was very well loved. Today, he sits in my living room, a humorous reminder my first Christmas…

It just can’t be December without the Virtual Advent Tour!

I want to thank Sprite for hosting Virtual Advent… I love participating and even more; I love reading all of the posts!

 

Looking Back | November 2020

Looking Back | November 2020

November is chill, frosted mornings with a silver sun rising behind the trees, red cardinals at the feeders, and squirrels running scallops along the tops of the gray stone walls. — Jean Hersey

This quote is almost my November… while there are no gray stone walls here, the squirrels run races on the power lines as they hurry to bury another acorn or two!

I really like November. The skies are different, the air smells different, and the sunrises and sunsets have moved to new spots on the horizon. Outside it feels like everything is settling in as it tucks itself in for a well-deserved rest until spring. And this year my November very much felt like that…it had a different look, there were different smells, mornings start quietly, and evenings settle into a comfortable rhythm as we wind down the day.

It truly helped to focus on “living as if this is all there is” and better still, November brought the promise of a spring. It is much easier to be patient when you can begin to see the glimmer at the end of the tunnel!

Let’s look at my November in pictures!


The Best Part of the Month —

Hand’s down November 7th was the absolute best part of the month!

Something New —

PA had new voting machines, so I made sure I had the PA Voter Hotline number at the ready! We also had our first dusting of snow, our first hard frost, AND some new spinning!

Best “Oh, Wow” Moment/s —

The glowing patio thanks to the sun and a few leaves remaining on a bush… my picture on the 28th does not do it justice.

What I did well and What I can do better —

I am thinking about the future of these look back posts… several times during the month I reached the end of the day and realized that I did not take any photos that day. I feel this need to “get something” but… is that done well? or Can I do better? I am not sure. Lots to think about, but I will absolutely end the year with one more installment!

That was my November! I hope yours was good as well!

Now… a tiny post script… things are bad right now, Gentle Readers…hospitals workers are over their limit and many have reached their breaking point and there is no reprieve. We have reached the grim milestone that every minute 2 people die from coronavirus and we are not yet seeing the Thanksgiving peak. Honestly, if you can stay home, stay home. Get your groceries delivered… really. Do it, it is a necessary evil right now. We need to do everything we can to help hospitals not be full. Do some holiday decorating, and spend some time appreciating how lovely it all looks by staying AT HOME

Looking Back | October 2020

Looking Back | October 2020

I remember it as October days are always remembered, cloudless, maple-flavored, the air gold and so clean it quivers. —  Leif Enger, Peace Like a River

I love October, but this year it was a bit melancholy for me this year. Every year, pre-COVID, we head off to Michigan to spend a glorious chunk of time with my kids. There are trips to Lake Michigan, family meals, lots of laughter as we catch up with the things a phone call/FaceTime does not afford. We always go to the Empire Hops Festival with my son. None of those things happened. But it was still October.

I am going to talk about the differences that this October brought…and those differences were so good!

The first BIG difference was voting on the 10th of the month! This was a new experience for me and I confess, I love early voting and I plan on adding this to my October calendar next year!

I loved the multiple “Halloween” grands images! Pumpkin pants FTW! And what’s not to love about a cowgirl and her very own baby horse! LOL (But, those Dalmations on the 31st!! That one brought lots of tears, because of this:

Sam, Heidi, and Rachel – 3 of the 101 Dalmations!

The final different thing was our spur of the moment decision to head back to Erie at the end of the month. Steve has been trying to use up vacation days, but a day at a time really does not promote any sort of a mental health break. So, since we were not going to participate in handing out candy (or throwing out candy, as our Township determined… yep, stay at least 9′ away and throw candy at the Trick or Treaters) we headed to Erie for 5 glorious days. Things not captured in photos here… the birds. Wow. I saw so many familiar birds, including Pileated Woodpeckers, but we also saw birds I had never seen in the wild before like Bufflehead Ducks and Black-bellied Plovers. The weather was perfect, not warm and a bit rainy AND there were virtually no anywhere! We took Carolyn’s advice and headed to The Cork 1794 and had the most amazing lunch! But, perhaps best of all, we discovered Icing on the Lake and indulged, more than a bit! lol

So even in a month where I did not get to do what I most wanted to do, I did manage to find good things in October!

Looking Back | September 2020

Looking Back | September 2020

September showed up right on schedule, and lasted a whole month. — Jenny Wingfield

This was a month that I wish felt like February… short and over almost before it began. The days just dragged on and I had the worst case of the blues in September. It was hard to find one thing good in any of the 30 days and even in this look back there are few things. It feels like each day is an exercise in finding  something to distract me from my sadness. I am missing my family terribly and September was especially bad. I missed Heidi’s 30th Birthday (because, honestly… a call is just not the same as being there), Winston is growing *rapidly* and it feels like I am missing all.the.things. And I know there are so many of you who are going through the same things I am and I think about you every day… and I wonder will we get through this? How will this change us? I can’t imagine that any of us will be better for this enforced separation.

Thing I was most surprised by —

The smoke from the fires out west making its way here and  impacting our skies (and the air we breathe). It made me understand better how this was impacting those living in the midst of the fires. And it made me more worried for my daughter who lives near San Francisco (as if I needed one more thing to worry about, but worry more I did.)

Thing I was most grateful for —

Winston has been smiling, but not on “cue” or not when my daughter had her phone (of course, lol) but there was a moment and she managed to get one on camera!

Thing that “got me through” but there is no image —

The book club from my church. This month our Dear Church Zoom Conversations have helped me tremendously. Being in a group of people who are trying to find ways to be a better ally was better than I imagined. And though we finished our book discussion, October will bring continued discussions with a broader group of participants. I am nervous, but very excited to continue this journey.

And with that… my look back at September is over. Happy Monday everyone!

 

 

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